It has become common practice to use artificially produced foliage to construct large, artificial decorative plants, especially trees. Artificially produced foliage parts from which complete artificial plants are constructed are widely available. Each such artificial foliage provides a naturally appearing plant segment emulation, comprising stems, bifurcations, and leafy extremities, and is generally used in the crown structure of artificial plants. Artificially produced foliage is typically affixed to lower trunks and leafless branches in the production of artificial trees and bushes. The lower trunks and leafless branches are most often constructed from naturally grown woody materials.
Naturally grown trunks and branches are ordinarily selected to be of sufficient girth to support the combined weight of higher structures. Typically the stem of artificial foliage is significantly smaller in diameter than a graft receiving trunk or branch. For this reason, each joint, especially a butt-end joint, usually embodies an unnaturally appearing discontinuity where a smaller, secondary structure is affixed to a larger, basal structure. Further the artificially produced foliage usually comprises an untapered lower stem which detracts from a viewers image of a naturally grown plant. Past attempts to hide the unnatural appearance of the combination of untapered stems and joint discontinuities have often resulted in the construction of artificial bushes and trees packed with an overabundance of artificial leaf foliage to camouflage the inner joints and limb structure. Such plants appear unnatural, as a natural tree or bush with such tightly packed limbs and leaves does not pass sufficient light to the inner leaves to support growth. A further frequent endeavor attempting to camouflaging joint discontinuities by adding a wreath of moss or the like around each visible conjoining structure has also proved to be of limited aesthetic merit.